After the first three weeks of the season, the bulk of the football world likely would have identified the New England Patriots as a legitimate playoff contender.
Well, a whole lot can change over the span of a month in the NFL.
The Patriots took a nosedive following their Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. New England dropped four consecutive games before (barely) snapping its losing streak Monday night against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Bill Belichick's team now sits at 3-5 heading into Week 10.
Sure, the Patriots still technically have a chance of reaching the postseason, but the odds certainly are not in their favor. ESPN offered more realistic expectations for New England following Week 9: finishing with a .500 record.
"The margin for error is already thin, and with home games remaining against the Ravens, Cardinals and Bills along with road games against the Chargers, Rams and Dolphins, it won't be easy," Mike Reiss wrote. "The Patriots have dug themselves an early hole they haven't been in since 2000, Bill Belichick's first year as the team's coach."
The Patriots have finished above .500 in all but one season over Belichick's tenure in Foxboro. The outlier was the future Hall of Fame coach's first season with New England back in 2000, the campaign before Tom Brady took over as the franchise's starting quarterback.
As Reiss mentions, New England will have to play great football the rest of the way just to finish 8-8. The Patriots undoubtedly will need a stellar showing Sunday night if they want to hang with the 6-2 Baltimore Ravens.
